The 2012 UEFA European Football Championship has captured the attention of millions around the world, with 16 teams battling for this coveted trophy. Unlike tournaments like the Champions Cup, which involves club teams, each team in the Euro 2012 represents a country, with favorites such as Germany, Italy, Spain and England fighting for glory. As the interest in Euro 2012 reaches a fever pitch, so does the sports betting for the event.

Sportsbooks plan to make millions on Euro 2012, as football fans put money down on their favorite team to win it all. Football betting has always been a popular activity in Europe, as the sport, known as soccer in other parts of the world, is the center of attention for European sports fans. A majority of the world's top talent plays in Europe, so fans are accustomed to seeing the best players and teams face off week in and week out. Now, these players are performing for their home country, which a strong sense of national pride at stake.

Sports betting in terms of the Euro 2012 can go far beyond who wins and loses a match and can extend to tournament-wide accolades, such as top goal scorer or the goalkeeper with the most saves. As far as betting on the champion of the event, Germany and Spain remain heavy favorites, but fans from other countries can revel in the excitement by betting on the number of goals each team will score to get to the title.

As the tournament progresses, football betting fever starts to grip all over Europe. Even those that do not normally visit sportsbooks may be enticed to do so because of the massive amounts of hype surrounding the event. Even sports fans in countries that do not have participants in the event, such as the U.S., may get in on the action because of the excitement Euro 2012 instills in the neighbors across the pond.

While Germany or Spain is favored to walk away with the Euro 2012 title at Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine, there is still time to place bets on several aspects of the tournament in terms of goal scoring, saves and penalties. There are plenty of great football resources available to make educated bets about this prestigious tournament, including online betting guides, but many fans continue to bet with their hearts, which makes the event even more lucrative for the bookies.